USC&GS Bench Mark "X-18" Jerry Penry
Book about this bridge!
1933
November 12, 2010
BOOK
Bench Mark "X 18" is located on the south side of the west end of the former Chicago & North Western Railroad bridge across the Niobrara River southeast of the town of Valentine, Nebraska. This bridge was built in 1909-10 to replace a wooden timber bridge built in 1882 just north of this bridge. This steel trestle is 140' tall and was on the mainline of the C&NW Railroad across northern Nebraska that went to Chadron where it branched to go to north to the Black Hills of South Dakota and west into Wyoming. This line was abandoned in 1992 and is now part of the "Cowboy Trail" hiking trail managed by the Nebraska Game & Parks Commission.
Looking southeast along the upstream (south) side of the bridge.
Looking southeast from the south side of the west abutment just below the bench mark location.
The location of the bench mark on the west abutment.
Closeup of Bench Mark "X 18". Notice the elevation stamping of 2528.706.The current NAVD88 elevation is 2529.67.
Looking down at the Niobrara River from the bench mark location.
The former railroad bridge as viewed from Highway 20. (Looking north).
Aerial view of the railroad bridge. Highway 20 is at the bottom of the image.
© Jerry Penry 2011